The McCandless method is used to enhance the 3D effect on stage in theatres. A certain area of the stage is illuminated by two light-emitting lighting fixtures, one from the left and one from the right. Often these lighting fixtures are placed under an angle of 90 degrees. One lighting fixture emits light in a cool color (blue, violet or white with a high color temperature, Tc) and the other lighting fixture emits light with a warm color (amber, pink or white with low Tc). The areas where the cool light beam creates shadows are illuminated by the warm beam and hence the depth of the object (e.g. face of an actor) is exaggerated. This enhances the 3D nature of the object on stage.
A lighting designer may decide to exaggerate this effect on stage to create more drama. If for example an actor is illuminated by a warm color from one side and by a cool color from the other side, warm and cool shadows occur on the face of the actor. Playing with these shadows is an important tool for the lighting designer to enhance or reduce the depth (3D effect).
Behind the object that is illuminated, there will be areas where the cool color and warm color each illuminates a background on the stage. Further, there will be an area illuminated by both the colors providing a mixed light. The lighting designer may want to control the color of the mixed light to use as a lighting effect on stage behind the object.
To reach a certain mixed light color, the lighting designer will need to experiment with the two colors from the lighting fixtures, which two colors will both provide a McCandless effect and provide the wanted mixed light color. This may be very complicated and time consuming.
Consequently, there is a need for an aid to a lighting designer in arranging light-emitting lighting fixtures in a theatre such that the lighting designer may control both the McCandless effect and the mixed light color.